Lot details

Year: 1962
Make: Volkswagen
Model: Beach Buggy (2.0 litre)
Registration: 457 DYV
Chassis No: 4485888
Odometer: 44,156

• 2.0 litre engine offering excellent performance
• In current ownership since 2016
• Four seats

Volkswagen-based beach buggies became hugely popular during the 1960s and 1970s, offering lightweight construction, simple mechanicals and entertaining open-air motoring. Based on the dependable Beetle platform, their combination of fibreglass bodywork and air-cooled Volkswagen engineering made them particularly well suited to more adventurous motoring.

This particularly eye-catching example is finished in deep burgundy with black detailing and sits on a set of banded steel wheels. The open four-seat bodywork is complemented by a substantial chrome roll bar, tubular front and rear protection bars and a black fabric soft-top hood, which is in excellent condition. The interior features a pair of Mamba bucket seats and a rear bench, making this a practical and sociable alternative to the usual two-seat sportscar.

The current owner has enjoyed the buggy since 2016 and understands that it has been in beach buggy form since at least the 1980s. Interestingly, he only discovered that the buggy was fitted with a 2.0 litre engine when arranging for the exhaust to be replaced. The replacement system initially ordered would not fit, prompting further investigation and revealing the larger-capacity engine. By all accounts, this gives the lightweight buggy quite formidable performance, with the owner reporting that it absolutely flies!

Its original Volkswagen chassis carries a 1962 identity, and it is registered as a Volkswagen Beach Buggy. With its striking appearance, unexpectedly potent 2.0 litre engine and excellent-condition soft-top, this is a hugely appealing example of the genre and looks to offer particularly good value for anyone seeking something a little different for the summer months. Consigned by Fraser Smith